AKRON, Ohio -- On Friday afternoon, St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce decided to go to the barbershop. When he got there, he heard the news that would raise the hairs on the back of his neck -- LeBron James was returning to Cleveland.

"There were some chills of joy that he's coming home," Joyce said.

Joyce says he didn't have any insider information, just his own beliefs. Now that it's official, Joyce is excited for what James' return can mean for the St. Vincent-St. Mary program.

"The fire is still burning, and this adds more fuel to the fire," Joyce said. "Kids want to come and be a part of that tradition. Kids want to come not just to the basketball team but to school to be a part of where LeBron played."

Since graduating, James has been very involved with his alma mater. He's donated jerseys, and last summer, he paid for a renovation of the school's gymnasium. James has also spent parts of his summers working out with members of the Irish and helping them improve their game.

Joyce doesn't know what to expect now that James is back in the area, but he isn't putting any pressure on him.

"Just having him around means a lot, but we put no expectation on what he chooses to do or not do," Joyce said. "We're just grateful that we're always in his mind, and he always thinks of St. Vincent-St. Mary."

Already, James has given back more to his high school than most athletes ever do, and that doesn't surprise Joyce at all.

"His senior year when he was given the Maxwell Award, I had the privilege to introduce him," Joyce said. "I said then that he will do greater things outside of basketball than inside of basketball."

Since James made his decision, Joyce has been getting calls nearly nonstop, and he has no problem speaking about James until his former player is ready to speak for himself.

"I'm happy to be a voice here until he gets back, and once he gets back, he'll have his own say, and he'll say it much better than I," Joyce said.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

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